Bits and Pieces
by ScruffyLovin
Summary: Snippets of Jack's recovery, taking place before "Changes," and between "Changes" and "Transitions." Each snippet can be read as a stand-alone. Reading "Changes" first will definitely help.
1. Therapy

**Summary: **Janet helps Jack with some physical therapy.

**Timeframe: **Shortly after Jack's accident, before "Changes."

**Characters/Pairing: **Jack, Janet

**Genre: **Drama, Hurt/Comfort

**Rating: **PG

**Note: **For those of you that are waiting for the sequel to "Changes," this will hopefully hold you guys over until I'm finished with it. Not long to go!

**Therapy**

"Dr. Fraiser, I could use some help with Colonel O'Neill. He will not submit to his physical therapy," the exasperated Nurse Benson exclaimed, bursting into Janet's office.

Pushing back her chair, Janet immediately got to her feet. It hadn't been long since O'Neill had come out of his coma after the emergency surgery following his accident. Since his physical wounds were on their way to healing, now, and his mental incapacitation had him struggling with normal, everyday functions, it was time for them to get his unused muscles working again.

Jack, however, had other ideas. It had taken him long enough to get comfortable with Janet, let alone Teal'c and Daniel, but he had serious issues with other people touching him. This caused plenty of problems, considering Janet couldn't always be there to take care of his every need. She was the CMO of the base, and had other patients to tend to. As much as she wanted to care for him, because he was her friend, Janet knew it just wasn't possible for her to be his nurse and doctor 24/7.

Dismissing Benson, and declining the nurse's offer to try and assist, Janet made a beeline for Jack's private room. It was disheartening to see him lying there so still, his head tilted, vacantly staring at the wall.

She smiled tightly and made a tutting noise while approaching him. "Colonel O'Neill, I hear you're giving my staff a hard time, again." When he continued to stare at the wall, unmoving, she softly said, "Jack."

This time, O'Neill's head rocked back to the middle of his pillow, his eyes slowly coming to focus on her. His attention only lasted a few seconds, however, before his chin lowered, and he stared at his unmoving right hand on the mattress.

Janet made a mental note that he gave some sort of response to being called "Jack," but none at all to "Colonel," or "Colonel O'Neill." She had seen him make some kind of response to Teal'c simply calling him "O'Neill," in his deep baritone, but so far, no acknowledgement at all to anyone else using the name.

Planting her hands on her hips, Janet looked directly at Jack and said, "I'm going to have to do your therapy, since you won't let anyone else move your arms and legs so they don't stiffen up on you." She picked up his limp hand and flexed the lightly-twitching digits.

Jack had regained simple movements in his extremities, but so far, no fine motor control. It was frustrating and difficult to watch him struggle to communicate in the only ways he knew how, which at this point were only a few wails, grunts, and the uncoordinated flailing in his arms and legs.

Janet picked up Jack's left arm, holding it at his wrist and bicep. She slowly began to flex and stretch the limb a few times before rotating his shoulder. Jack's head tilted, and he stared at her, blinking blankly as she continued her ministrations for a few more minutes, then switched to the other side.

When Jack jerked his arm away from her as she tried to manipulate it, Janet wasn't surprised. This was where the difficulty came in. Jack didn't appreciate the same therapy on this side, because Janet suspected that the movements pulled at the healing shrapnel wounds scattered over his right torso.

"It's okay," she soothed, aware that a person's tone, when speaking to him, almost always made a difference. Janet lifted just his hand, and rubbed it between both of hers, warming his cool fingers. "I'll be extra careful, Jack. I promise," she assured him.

This time, as Janet gingerly lifted his arm, Jack didn't pull away. She stretched, flexed, and rotated accordingly, taking care to be even more gentle than she had on his left arm. She didn't jar his side so badly, and Jack let her do her job before she moved on to his legs.

Janet flexed each foot, and bent every toe. She rotated his ankles, bent his knees up and down, and stretched out each leg. When Jack finally started to squirm, after spending nearly half an hour on his legs, Janet knew he had reached the limits of his comfort, without him having to tell her so.

She gave Jack water, checked all his tubing, plunged a mild pain reliever into his IV port, and told him to rest. Janet perched on the edge of his bed and lightly raked her fingers through his hair. He seemed to like that.

Jack hummed softly, his eyes darting around for a few seconds before he closed them.

Janet sat quietly, listening as his breathing grew soft and even. She brushed a hand through his hair again, then bent over Jack to kiss his forehead. "Rest well, Jack."

-


	2. Sleepover

**Summary: **Janet and Daniel look after Jack while Teal'c is away.

**Timeframe: **Before "Changes."

**Characters/Pairing: **Jack, Daniel/Janet

**Genre: **Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Family

**Rating:**PG

**Note: **Just so I don't confuse anyone too bad, these little snippets aren't being posted in any particular order.

**Sleepover**

"He's impaired, he isn't stupid!" Janet growled at the new orderly, a bad-tempered young man with a chip on his shoulder. "Just because he isn't able to really communicate, doesn't mean he can't understand. And if I ever catch you taking that tone with a patient again, you'll be out of here so fast, you'll get whiplash!" She jabbed her finger into his chest.

"Yes, ma'am. Sorry ma'am," the orderly muttered his clenched-jaw apology repentantly.

Janet pointed to the door. "You're off duty for the rest of the day, Sergeant. Now get out before I decide to report you to General Hammond." As the young man scampered away with his tail between his legs, Janet quickly hurried over to Jack. He was sitting on the floor beside the exam bed, with his knees tucked to his chest, arms wrapped tightly around his long legs.

"Jack?" she called softly. "Are you alright?" He didn't answer, but Janet hadn't expected him to. She crouched beside him, brushing her hand through his hair. "Teal'c's still off-world, so you're going to come stay with me and Daniel and Cassie tonight, okay?"

He blinked slowly, but continued to stare straight ahead.

Janet got back to her feet, grabbing Jack under his arm and pulling him up with her. "Lt. Rush told me you let her do your exam today without much of a fuss. I'm really proud of you, Jack." She smiled, standing on the tips of her toes so she could kiss his cheek. Janet knew he only allowed very few people to touch him, and when the other medical personnel _needed _to, he only tolerated it. And that was on his good days.

Jack jerked his chin to the side and shrugged his shoulders up and down.

Lightly tugging on his arm, Janet guided him to the door. "Come on; I'm off duty in a few minutes. Let's go tell Daniel we're leaving, then we can get out of here."

-

Jack was quiet during dinner, as usual, but he ate all of his food, and even helped to clear the table afterwards, with Cassie's gentle guidance.

Cassie and Janet had retired for the night a while ago, so Daniel stayed up with Jack. His friend had odd, sometimes very erratic sleeping patterns, which Janet attributed to the brain damage, and tonight was no exception. Since Daniel was already awake, trying to make sense of his hastily-scribbled notes from off-world, he didn't mind keeping an eye on Jack for the time being.

After giving up on his notes when exhaustion kept making his vision blur, Daniel slipped his hands under his glasses and rubbed at his eyes. He yawned loudly, glancing sideways at Jack, who was slumped on the couch beside him, staring fixedly at the television.

Reaching over to lightly swat Jack's leg, Daniel called for his friend's attention. "C'mon Jack, what do you say we turn in for the night, huh?"

Jack wordlessly rose to his feet when Daniel gestured for him to do so.

Daniel took him to the spare room, where Jack always slept when he stayed over, and patiently waited just outside the door after handing his friend some pajamas. Jack even had his own dresser in the room, with some extra clothes of his, so he wouldn't need to bring anything when he spent the night. The spare room had pretty much become Jack's room anyway, since no one else really used it. Cassie had her own room, and Daniel was in with Janet.

When he poked his head back in the room, to check if Jack was done, he found his friend sitting on the edge of the bed, and waved him over. "Come on, Jack. Bathroom before bed; you know the drill."

Jack stood slowly to follow Daniel again, lost without any other guidance.

-

When Jack was settled in bed, Daniel stayed until he fell asleep, then turned on the nearby baby monitor, plugged in the nightlight, and quietly left the room to crawl into bed beside Janet.

She stirred slightly as he wrapped an arm around her, pressing a kiss to her shoulder. Janet hummed softly, wiggling slightly to conform to his warm body behind her. _"Jack asleep?" _she murmured in a half-asleep voice.

Daniel turned his face away for a moment so he wouldn't yawn in her ear. He nodded against the back of her neck. "Yep, he's out." He relaxed against her, feeling comfortable and warm as he drifted off to sleep.

-

A peculiar noise woke Daniel from his comfortable slumber. Reluctantly rolling away from Janet, he squinted at the baby monitor next to the bed on his side, it's green light flickering as more sounds emitted from the speaker.

There were rustling noises and groans. That was never a good sign where Jack was concerned.

Carefully slipping from the bed, amazed that Janet could still sleep through all the movement and noise, Daniel turned off the monitor, and quietly padded down the hall to the spare room. There was enough light from the hallway and the nightlight to clue Daniel in as to what was wrong with Jack.

Daniel grimaced as he slowly strode up to the miserable-looking man in the bed. There was vomit down the front of Jack's t-shirt, in his lap, and on the bedcovers. His nose crinkled involuntarily with disgust as he turned on the bedside lamp. He felt like he could have slapped himself in the forehead. "I forgot to give you your nausea medication, didn't I?" he muttered aloud with realization.

Jack stared blankly, looking sick and pale in the light.

"Okay," Daniel heaved a sigh and lightly grasped Jack's arm as the other man slid his legs over the edge of the bed and rose to his feet. "Let's get you cleaned up." He led his friend into the bathroom with a disgruntled sigh, reminding himself that this was his fault, and not Jack's.

Daniel wanted to be frustrated with him, but he couldn't. Sometimes, he just wished that the old Jack would come back. But things were rarely ever that simple, and certainly not tonight.

While Jack was in the shower, Daniel gathered up all the soiled linens and loaded them into the washer. He was too tired to bother finding new sheets for the bed, and grabbed an armful of extra blankets instead. He piled the blankets up in the corner of his and Janet's room, tossing a pillow down as well, before going to check up on Jack.

He knocked on the door, waiting patiently for the answering knock before going inside. Daniel had given Jack a fresh set of pajamas, and he was all dressed and ready for bed again. Daniel thought he was still looking a little pale, and brought him into his and Janet's room to lie down before going to get the medication he'd forgotten earlier.

Daniel knelt beside Jack while his friend swallowed the pills, washing them down with a cup of water. When he took the half-empty glass back, Daniel let his gaze travel over Jack slowly, studiously. Brows furrowing, he softly asked, "Are you okay now, Jack? 'Cause you can tell me if you aren't, you know." Going out on a limb, Daniel leaned closer. "Or . . . if you just want to talk. You know, say anything to me at all, really. Tell me to shut up, tell me you're tired, you hate this, that you-"

"Daniel?" Janet's soft, tired voice stopped his sudden tirade.

He turned around, with tears in his eyes, to see her leaning toward the edge of the bed, watching him, and propping herself up on an elbow. Daniel heaved a sigh. "I'm sorry. It's just . . . I just want him to . . . I don't know." He frowned, embarrassed and surprised at himself. He wanted the old Jack back.

Janet smiled tightly, glancing between him and Jack. With an understanding nod, she quietly said, "I know. We all want him to get better; to talk to us again, do things for himself again. It's hard on all of us." Her rational, sympathetic voice was nearly Daniel's undoing. "But just imagine how hard this is on Jack."

Daniel turned back to his friend, sitting on the floor atop a pile of blankets, an unreadable expression on his face. Much to Daniel's surprise, though, Jack's dark brown eyes were staring fixedly at his blue ones. It was like he knew.

Working at a smile, Daniel lightly patted his friend's leg, then gently pushed on his shoulder to get him to lie down. "I'm sorry, Jack." He pulled the blanket over him. "You know we'll all take you any way we can, because the alternative is just unfathomable."

Feeling tears prick his eyes again, Daniel leaned down and gave his friend a brotherly kiss on the forehead before getting to his feet. "No matter what happens, or doesn't happen, you'll always be my best friend, Jack."

When Jack made a noise low in his throat, then turned on his side, Daniel smiled gently and rubbed his friend's shoulder. "Go to sleep, Jack."

Janet moved over and made room as Daniel got back in bed and turned off the light. She grasped his hand in hers, giving it a loving squeeze as she curled up beside him and kissed his cheek.

"Do you think we're doing the right thing?" Daniel asked suddenly, his voice a low whisper. He felt Janet move against him, slightly. "Taking care of him like this, I mean."

"Yes, Daniel, I do." Janet whispered confidently. "I think keeping Jack around those he cares for most is going to do him the most good in the long run."

"Yeah." He nodded, tilting his head to kiss her temple. "I just . . . Sometimes I feel like I don't know how to help him."

"We all feel like that sometimes, Daniel. Even me, and I'm a doctor." She craned her neck and kissed him on the chin. "All we can do is be there for him. We're doing all we can."

Daniel sighed softly, nodding again and pulling her tighter against him. "I sure hope so."

-


	3. Touchy

**Summary: **Cassie attempts to get through to Jack when he's having a bad day.

**Timeframe: **Before "Changes," some time after "Sleepover."

**Characters/Pairing: **Jack, Cassie, Janet

**Genre: **Family, Friendship, Drama, Hurt/Comfort

**Rating: **G.

**Touchy**

It was all her fault. She knew she should have reported that ignorant _sonofabitch_ on the spot. Sergeant Marsters had never achieved approval in her eyes. He was short with patients as well as the rest of her staff, and this had been the last straw. Ever since the new orderly's last encounter with Jack, Janet had been just looking for reasons to get rid of him. And boy, did she find them.

She'd been disturbed to find a very distraught Jack waiting in her office after his physical therapy session with Dr. Elaine Jessup. The therapist, a taller, rounder woman around Janet's age, had been waiting with him to report to her.

Dr. Jessup had reported witnessing Sergeant Marsters getting out of line with the former Colonel when Jack hesitated in allowing the orderly to take him to his base quarters.

She told Janet that the Sergeant had roughly grabbed Jack by the arm, and tried to physically drag him down the corridor. Jack had flailed and screamed, alerting Jessup to the situation. Shocked and outraged at Marsters' behavior, the doctor had quickly rescued an obviously upset Jack, and called for an SF to take the Sergeant to holding quarters for the time being.

Now that the unruly Sergeant Marsters' fate was in General Hammond's capable hands, and the incident had been officially reported, Janet was left to deal with the aftermath, namely, Jack.

He'd tucked himself into the corner of her office, and refused any attempts of hers or Dr. Jessup's to get him out of there. Janet dismissed the therapist, grateful for the women's help, and assured the other doctor that she would take care of things now.

"Jack?" Janet slowly crouched down in front of him and reached out a soothing hand, only to have him swat it away, flinching back and covering his head with his arms. Uneasy with his obvious distress, Janet stood and took a step away, giving him some space. "Jack, it's okay. I'm not going to hurt you. It's Janet."

One hand above his head flapped frantically in a type of shooing motion, clearly stating the intended, yet unvoiced, _"Go away!"_

Sighing, Janet stepped back again and sunk into her desk chair, regarding him carefully as she planned her next move.

"Mom, Jack wasn't in his quarters, so I figured you still had him-" Janet looked up immediately at the sound of her daughter's voice. Cassie had cut herself off as she stopped in the doorway. The teen's eyes zoned in on the six-foot-two Colonel crammed into the corner of her office.

Janet had nearly forgotten that Cassie had been dropped off at the base after school to keep Jack company for a while so that she, Daniel, and Teal'c could finish whatever work needed to be done.

"What's up with Jack?" Cassie asked softly, concern in her voice as she studied him.

Janet sighed. "Now's not really a good time, Cass."

Jack suddenly lowered his arms from around his head and peered at the teen in the doorway, making Janet have second thoughts about sending her daughter away. Jack was often more responsive when Cassandra was around, and she figured he appreciated the young woman's company on some level, as much as he ever showed it anyway.

"On second thought . . ." Seeing how he was reacting, Janet waved Cassie in. "I'm going to step out for a few minutes," she told her daughter, edging slowly toward the door and gesturing toward Jack. "If you need anything, give a holler, okay?"

-

Cassie nodded and slowly approached Jack as her mother left the office.

He dropped his arms from around his head to hug his knees to his chest, then stared at the floor by Cassie's feet, rocking back and forth slowly.

She reached out to touch his hand, but as soon as her fingers made contact, he jerked away. There was a loud clunk as his elbows hit the wall behind him from the sharp movement. Cassie just reacted by dropping her hand away and taking a step back. Furrowing her brows, she realized she'd have to try something else to get him to come out of the corner.

Her mother hadn't told her anything, and Cassie was confused as to why Jack was acting this way. Apparently, he wouldn't let anyone near. Still concerned about what could have happened to him, Cassie got an idea. In a light, cheerful voice, she said, "Hey Jack, I could use a snack. Wanna come to the commissary with me?"

His dark, shadowed eyes shifted slowly to her face, though their gazes never locked. Jack stopped rocking back and forth, his head tilted.

Cassie sent him a bright smile. She knew she could get him moving with that suggestion. "Come on, let's go see what kind of cake they have for today." She waved him up with her hand, but didn't try to reach out for him this time.

Still staring at the floor, Jack leaned back against the corner wall and pushed himself to his feet slowly. He stiffly shoved his hands in his pockets and took a tense step forward.

Pleased that she'd been able to get Jack to crawl out of the corner, Cassie walked toward the door, glancing back to make sure he was still following her. Her mom was waiting outside the door.

-

Janet was relieved when Cassie came out of her office with Jack in tow. He was still keeping his distance, it seemed, and she felt a swell of anger at the ignorant Sergeant Marsters, and at herself, for allowing the incident to happen.

Jack was shuffling along behind Cassie, his eyes riveted to the floor, and his hands stuffed into his pockets.

Stopping herself from going to him, Janet crossed her arms and gave her daughter a questioning look.

"I'm taking him to the commissary for a snack," Cassie told her.

Janet frowned with disapproval. "He hasn't eaten dinner yet, and, might I add, neither have you." She eyed her daughter pointedly.

"Mom." Cassie looked at her entreatingly, gesturing behind her at Jack. Apparently, the suggestion of getting that snack had been the thing to get him in motion.

"Okay," Janet acquiesced softly with a nod, then watched them go. Her daughter may have been young, but Cassie was wise, and she was very good with Jack.

-

The commissary was quiet, and Cassie led Jack over to a corner table that was farthest from any of the SGC personnel within the room. He was flinchy and tense, even as she pulled out a chair and kept from touching him as she told him to sit down.

Cassie hated when Jack had bad days like this. At these times she wished Sam could be back to help, thinking that if anyone could get through to Jack, Sam could. She didn't even know why she thought that. All Cassie _did _know, was that even before his accident, after Sam left with the Tok'ra, Jack hadn't been the same.

She brought him a piece of cake, and subconsciously, she realized afterwards, had picked a glass of blue Jell-O for herself, as though in honor of Sam.

When Jack froze with his fork halfway to his mouth, and his eyes tracked toward the Jell-O, Cassie studied him with interest. "Do you want some?" She slid the dish toward him.

Jack jerked his head to the side and quickly averted his gaze, completing the journey of fork to mouth, and chewing robotically.

"Guess not." Cassie sighed, giving up on the Jell-O, and resting her cheek in her hand as she watched Jack, waiting for him to finish his snack.

Jack's eyelids were fluttering by the time he was done with his treat. His hands were splayed on the table, fingers spread wide, and he was staring down at the empty space where his plate had been. It was clear to Cassie that he was ready to zonk out. She wasn't surprised. He normally napped for a little while after therapy, but hadn't this time.

Clapping her hands together without thinking, Cassie grimaced as Jack cringed. She slid her chair back and stood, slowly walking to his side. "Come on, Jack. Let's go back to your quarters."

He got up and shuffled steadily alongside her as they left, his gaze riveted to the floor once more, as though doing so would mean the other people around them didn't exist.

-

Jack seemed to relax a little as they left the populated commissary to travel along the rather empty corridors. He was doing well, walking alongside her with his head down, his feet shuffling steadily along.

As they strode toward Jack's VIP quarters, a speeding Dr. Lee, intently focused on a clipboard, rounded the corner. Cassie noticed the man too late, and he careened straight into Jack.

Having not been so sure on his feet since the accident, Jack stumbled backward and almost fell, when Dr. Lee instinctively reached out and grasped his shoulders to steady him. "Sorry, sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going."

Cassie made a face. The scientist couldn't have known that grabbing Jack was just about the worst thing he could have done at that moment.

"Nyaaaaahhh!" Jack flailed and yelled as soon as Dr. Lee grasped his shoulders, one hand flinging out to catch the other man across the face, accidently knocking his glasses off.

Shocked by the unexpected swat, Dr. Lee immediately released Jack, and the flailing man fell to the floor on his butt, curling on his side and holding out his arms in a protective gesture.

"Jack! It's okay, take it easy," Cassie said quickly, kneeling near enough without touching him.

Regaining his senses, and having found his glasses, Dr. Lee looked like he'd just realized exactly who he'd bumped into. "Oh jeeze, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to, I-" The scientist was flabbergasted. Not seeing that the physical contact had upset Jack more than the fall, Dr. Lee lurched forward, about to help Jack to his feet.

"Don't touch him!" Cassie snapped, feeling very guilty at the outburst when Dr. Lee shrunk back with a deflated frown. She sighed with an apologetic grimace. "Sorry, Dr. Lee. He's just not having a very good day. It might be best if you just go."

"I understand," the scientist responded, getting to his feet and stepping back. He sent Cassie a bashful smile after collecting his clipboard from the floor. "I'm really sorry."

"It's alright." Cassie turned her attention on Jack as the doctor quickly went on his way. It was hard to get his attention without touching him and making things worse. "Jack, c'mon, let's get in your room, okay?"

When he lowered his arms, but didn't respond, Cassie realized she was going to have to be a little tough on him. Steeling her resolve, and using her mother's best assertive tone, she said, "Jack, you need to get up. Right now."

He must have been surprised at her tone, because his head tilted slightly, and he pushed himself into a sitting position. Still tensed, he stiffly got to his feet, his jaw clenched as he stared down at his boots.

"Good, now come with me." Cassie sent him a proud smile, waving him after her as she made a beeline for his room.

-

Cassie quickly ushered Jack inside and to the little couch in the corner lounge area of the room. He was shaky and agitated, futilely tugging at the buttons on his BDU shirt in a nervous gesture. His clumsy fingers weren't quite dexterous enough to undo the thick buttons.

"Jack, stop," Cassie said in a soft, yet stern tone. She sat next to him and brushed his hands away from his shirt without thinking, relieved when he didn't start yelling and flailing because she'd touched him.

Jack grunted and dropped his hands in his lap, staring out across the room at nothing.

Cassie wondered if he now recognized that she'd been trying to help him, and wasn't bothered by her touch now. On Jack's normal and good days, he didn't mind when those closest to him made physical contact in any way, and sometimes wasn't even bothered by an accidental brush up or a pat on the shoulder by others that he knew on base. However, something had happened today, and until just now, Jack wasn't letting anyone get near him.

Cassie reached out again, and began to undo the buttons on Jack's shirt. He didn't fight her, and after she got it off, leaving just the black t-shirt beneath, she knelt down and started on his boots. She spoke to him absently as she undid the laces. "So, I guess you're not having a very good day today, huh Jack?" She tugged off his right boot and moved on to the left one. "I wish you could tell me what happened."

She looked up at Jack, seeing that he was now staring down at her, his expression surprisingly open. Cassie was confident that he could understand what she was saying, but he just couldn't find a way to really communicate. At least that's how it seemed most days. Sometimes she supposed he communicated in his own way, and that his reactions were just all screwed up. He could be overemotional or under emotional, and Cassie knew he didn't have control over it.

Tugging off his remaining boot, Cassie tossed it aside and then plopped down on the couch beside him. She reached for the remote on the side table and turned on the little TV. "Let's find something that you can sleep to, huh?"

She flipped through the channels until she found an old John Wayne western. When Cassie told Jack to go to sleep, he leaned sideways until his head was resting on her shoulder. Her eyes started to water as his weight settled against her much smaller form. She could feel him still shaking with small tremors, and her heart was gripped in a vice of compassion.

She smiled and took in a wavering breath, letting it out slow. "You feel a little better now, Jack?"

His soft sigh was answer enough, and Cassie was just glad she could help him out in any small way. Jack was part of her family, and family looked out for each other.

-


	4. Never Left Behind

**Summary: **Teal'c makes an important decision for Jack's benefit.

**Timeframe: **Before "Changes."

**Characters/Pairing: **Jack, Teal'c, Janet

**Genre: **Friendship

**Rating:**G.

**Never Left Behind**

Teal'c pushed his friend's wheelchair along the path around the hospital grounds at a sedate pace. It was still fairly early in O'Neill's recovery, and he didn't quite have enough motor control at this point to get very far on his own accord. Teal'c had taken him to see Doctor Fraiser, since she was needed to stay at the Academy Hospital for the week, and Jack wasn't really cooperating with any of the other nurses or doctors on base without Fraiser around.

Doctor Fraiser had thought that it might be good to get O'Neill off the base for a while, and Teal'c agreed. His physical therapy had been going well, and Fraiser had told Teal'c that O'Neill would soon be leaving the confines of the much-despised base infirmary.

When O'Neill made a grunting noise, Teal'c pushed the chair over to a bench and parked it, taking a seat so that he was beside his friend. There was a chill in the air, and Teal'c leaned over to adjust the blanket wrapped around O'Neill. He pulled a black knit cap from his own pocket and gently tugged it down over his friend's head, concealing O'Neill's scar.

Lifting his chin to the sun, O'Neill appeared to appreciate the warm rays that battled the cool weather.

"I knew you would enjoy this outing, O'Neill," Teal'c told his silent friend with a pleased smile. He was always glad to see his warrior brother react to his environment, proving that the attentive Colonel was still in there somewhere.

It was hard for Teal'c to see his warrior brother so helpless and lost, but he was determined not to abandon him. He was aware that General Hammond was being pressured from a higher authority to put O'Neill in a special care facility, but the General, as well as Doctor Fraiser, himself, and Daniel Jackson were all fighting it. They would do all that they could to keep O'Neill with them.

Teal'c kept his friend's motto with him at all times; _Never leave a man behind. _It would never be more true than it was now. He wouldn't leave O'Neill in battle, and he wasn't about to leave him now.

As he caught movement out of the corner of his eye, Teal'c turned to see Doctor Fraiser striding toward them. He stood to greet her with a slight bow. "Doctor Fraiser."

"Hey, Teal'c." Fraiser smiled warmly at him, touching his arm. She then moved in front of O'Neill, his attention shifting toward her jerkily. "Hi, Jack. How are you today?" She put her hand on his shoulder, and O'Neill didn't react.

"I believe O'Neill is enjoying his time out of the mountain, Doctor Fraiser," Teal'c told her lowly.

Fraiser turned to him and smiled tightly, her hand still on O'Neill's shoulder. "Soon enough he won't be stuck there all the time anymore. He'll be well enough to go home."

Teal'c's brows knit together slowly as he took in the apprehensive look on Fraiser's face. "Is there something wrong, Doctor Fraiser?"

"No, I just . . ." The petite woman heaved a heartfelt sigh. "General Hammond is being pressured about base resources being used for Jack's continued care. There's no way that he'll be allowed to let Jack have an at home nurse from this facility, and without someone familiar to care for him there-"

"O'Neill will be sent away to a specialized facility," Teal'c finished for her, knowingly, his eyes going to his nonresponsive friend in the wheelchair.

Fraiser reached out to Teal'c, placing her small hand on his muscular forearm. "We aren't going to let them send him away, Teal'c. He won't get the type of care he needs if he's sent to a facility." She paused and looked down at the ground. "Daniel and I talked last night about having Jack live with us."

"But what of O'Neill's home?"

"That's the thing." Fraiser grimaced slightly. "The General is taking care of his estate with the funds from Jack's medical retirement, but we're also concerned about removing Jack from a comfortable, familiar home environment," she trailed off and shrugged.

Teal'c quickly thought up a solution and spoke up, confidently, "If permitted, I shall take residence in O'Neill's home and care for him there so that he may remain."

The doctor's eyebrows went up with surprise. "You will? Teal'c, that's an excellent idea. I mean . . . It's great, but . . . are you sure?"

He bowed his head with determination. "Indeed, I believe so."

Fraiser hugged him, and he reveled in the warmth from her embrace, wrapping his large arms around her tiny frame in return. She pulled away slowly and looked down at O'Neill. "Will you take him inside? I have time to give him his check, now."

Nodding, Teal'c circled his friend's wheelchair and kicked up the brakes, swiveling and following Dr. Fraiser along the path back to the hospital entrance.

-

Teal'c waited patiently outside the exam room until Dr. Fraiser had finished with O'Neill. She reported that the shrapnel wounds along his side were still healing and a little tender, but he was doing very well, and the wound from his head injury and the following surgery was nearly hidden by his hair now. She had told Teal'c that he was still needed for a routine blood test and an MRI, and would soon be finished for the day.

When Dr. Fraiser came out of the room with O'Neill, Teal'c strode toward him and offered a smile. He was pleased when O'Neill's dark eyes made contact with his own.

"He's all set, Teal'c. You can bring him back to base, now," Fraiser told him with a warm smile. "I'm going to call General Hammond and tell him about your idea to move into Jack's house. I'm sure he'll be on board with it."

"Thank you, Doctor Fraiser." He offered her an appreciative bow, then turned O'Neill's chair and leisurely strolled down the long corridor to the elevators.

In the elevator, Teal'c replaced O'Neill's knit cap and blanket, making sure his friend would be properly attired before they crossed the cool parking lot.

When he'd gotten his friend into the borrowed SUV, and was driving back to Cheyenne Mountain, Teal'c noticed that O'Neill had pressed a fist against his jaw, and was working his mouth open and closed. He found that O'Neill often made that type of gesture when he was very hungry, otherwise he would just wait patiently until someone took him to eat or brought him food.

"Do you request nourishment, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked, glancing sideways as he stopped at a red traffic light.

His friend stared out the window, tapping his fist against his jaw.

Teal'c took that as a yes, and nodded. "Perhaps Daniel Jackson would like to meet us for lunch in the commissary once we have returned to base." He knew that O'Neill appeared most at ease when all of his surrogate family were present, and appreciated being with several of them at once.

Teal'c thought that perhaps it was due to O'Neill having some sense that they all cared deeply for him, or because their combined presence meant more protection. Whatever the reason, Teal'c was simply glad that O'Neill recognized, in whatever way, that they were there for him. He knew that he and the others would be there for O'Neill, no matter what.

-


	5. Buttons

**Summary: **Jack's frustrated with his slow progress, but Sam's there to smooth things over.

**Timeframe: **Shortly after "Changes," before the upcoming sequel.

**Characters/Pairing: **SamJack

**Genre: **Fluff

**Rating: **G.

**Buttons**

Sam heard Jack's growl of frustration before she saw him. He came around the corner from his bedroom, freshly dressed in a pair of old jeans and a black t-shirt. He had a plaid shirt over that, with only a few of the buttons done up. His hands were tightly clenched at his sides, and he was scowling.

Dorothy had been following him, and had trotted over to her for a pat on the head before lying on the floor in front of the kitchen sink, just watching them.

Abandoning her coffee at the counter, Sam strode toward Jack, a calm expression on her face. "What is it?"

He stood there, one hand awkwardly twisting at one of the undone buttons on his shirt. When he lifted his chin to look at her, he grimaced bashfully. "Fingers just don't wanna . . . cooperate anymore today." Jack shrugged apologetically.

Sam sent him a smile. He'd been improving more and more every day, but once and a while his mind and body would betray him, like now. If he tried to do too much with his hands in a short period of time, they would lock up on him, the digits refusing to move in the nimble way they were meant to.

She understood how discouraged Jack got with these little missteps, but he continued to push himself, knowing that he could do better. He _was_ doing better, too. Jack was already accomplishing things he hadn't been able to do weeks ago, and that was certainly something.

Sam grasped at the edges of his shirt, pulling them together and slowly fastening the buttons, leaving only the top two undone. She slid her hands down his sides until they rested at his waist, looking up to meet his dark eyes, silently asking if this was okay.

He rose an eyebrow, eager, yet tentative.

Sending Jack an affectionate smile, she leaned forward to give him a kiss.

Jack responded slowly, forgetting about his frustrations and slipping his arms around her in return.

Sam was smiling widely as they broke apart, and Jack rested his forehead against hers. His dark eyes were gazing into her blue ones, telling her more than any words could. They would get through this, no matter how long it took, or what obstacles got in their way.

He believed her, and that was the most important thing.

-


	6. Nightmares and Oz

**Summary: **Jack has a nightmare.

**Timeframe: **Pre-_Changes_.

**Characters/Pairing: **Jack, Cassie, Daniel, Janet

**Genre: **Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Fluff

**Rating:**PG

**Started: **April-2-2010 **Finished: **May-2-2010

**Nightmares and Oz**

A loud yell disrupted the peaceful, silent night, jerking Cassie out of a dreamless sleep. Now wide awake, sitting up and peering wildly about her room in the dark, she listened to the sound of someone walking down the hall and entering the room next to hers. Jack's room when he stayed with them. The person who had gone to him was either her mother or Daniel—maybe both.

The incoherent yelling had stopped, and Cassie could now hear the muffled, low voice of someone talking. The tone was too soft for it to be Daniel; it had to have been her mother.

She was disturbed by the panicked, whimpering sounds that bled through the wall, and wondered if perhaps her mother needed help calming him down.

Decision made, Cassie crawled out of bed and quietly slipped out of her room, her bare feet padding softly on the carpeted floor. She stood at the open door to the spare room, the nightlight faintly illuminating the two figures on the bed.

Her mother was perched on the edge of the bed with Jack huddled against her petite frame. Janet's arms were around him, holding his head against her chest and rocking back and forth soothingly, as though he were a child.

"Mom?" Cassie asked unsurely from the doorway.

Janet turned to her, smiling tightly with reassurance. "It's okay, Cassandra; he just had a nightmare. He'll be alright."

Her brows furrowed slightly. Someone was missing. "Where's Daniel?"

"He's still off-world, honey." Janet told her, calmly.

Jack continued breathing heavy and whimpering, and Cassie could see that he was shaking in her mother's arms. She took a step into the room. "Can I help?"

"I've got this, Cassie. You should go back to bed, you have school in the morning."

Nodding, Cassie reluctantly turned and left, slowly going back to her own room. She wished she could help Jack in some way, even though she knew her mom would take care of him.

Crawling back in bed, Cassie laid down and stared up at the ceiling, clutching a raggedy old teddy bear under her arm. She listened for a while until she heard her mother go back to her own room, and assumed that Jack was okay now and had gone back to sleep.

Cassie laid awake for another hour, still thinking about Jack. She didn't hear anything from his room, but decided to get up and check on him anyway. Maybe when she saw for herself that he was alright, she would be able to get some sleep.

Cassie quietly crept into the spare room and found him curled up tightly in a protective ball, his eyes wide open and staring at the wall. She approached cautiously, not wanting to startle him. Reaching the night table, Cassie turned off the baby monitor so they wouldn't wake her mom again.

"Jack?" She tilted her head, peering at him, and smiling when his eyes met hers. His dark brown irises were black in the lack of light. Cassie crouched down beside the bed, stretching out an arm to lightly pat Jack's shoulder. "Can't go back to sleep, huh?"

He started trembling, and clenched his eyes shut, making a low, whimpering noise.

Cassie's chest felt tight seeing him like that. She turned away for a moment, then let out a breath and stood, moving slowly toward the door and beckoning him to come with her. "I have an idea, come on," she said softly.

Jack's eyes opened again, and he cocked his head slightly. Rubbing at his head, he started to sit up and slide out of bed to follow.

Taking Jack's hand, Cassie guided him out of the room, down the stairs, and into the den. She got him to sit down on the couch, then turned the TV on, making sure the volume was low before she went to search the book shelf for a particular VHS tape.

Without turning on a light, Cassie squinted at the movie selection, using the glow from the television to see. She smiled with satisfaction when she found what she was looking for. _The Wizard of Oz. _

After sticking the tape in the VCR and hitting the 'play' button, Cassie grabbed a few blankets, then joined Jack on the couch and covered them up. With her legs curled up under her, she leaned against one side of the couch and got comfortable.

When the movie had started, Cassie glanced at Jack and saw that he seemed to have relaxed. He was slumped low in his seat, with his feet up on the coffee table, staring fixedly at the images on the television screen.

Barely twenty minutes into the movie, Cassie could hear Jack snoring softly. She sat up to look at him, finding his head tossed back against the cushions, obviously deeply asleep. She smiled, then went completely still when the sound of a key turning in the lock, and the front door opening broke through the soft musical number on the TV. Daniel was home.

Relieved that Jack didn't wake, Cassie twisted around on the couch when Daniel walked through the door, his attention immediately swinging toward the focus of light in the living room.

"Cassie?"

She quickly raised a finger to her lips in the universal _shushing _motion, and gestured toward Jack.

"Ah." Nodding with understanding, Daniel came over to stand by the couch. He cracked a half smile as he looked between her and Jack and then appeared to realize what they were watching on the TV. _"The Wizard of Oz?" _he whispered quizzically.

"Yeah." Cassie smiled briefly, shifting to get comfortable on the couch again and pulling her blanket up around her shoulders. "Jack had a nightmare before," she began to explain. "Mom stayed with him 'till he got back to sleep, then when I couldn't sleep I got up to check on him and he was awake again. I thought this might help."

"Yeah, but—" Daniel waved at the TV. _"The Wizard of Oz?"_

Shrugging, Cassie just smiled and said, "It calms him down."

Snorting softly, Daniel smiled and shook his head. "Somehow that just seems so…so—_Jack_."

Cassie smiled even wider. She looked at Jack. He seemed so peaceful sleeping there next to her on the couch—so much like the old Jack, before his accident. Remembering him as he was before brought tears to her eyes, and she quickly clenched them shut, willing herself not to let them fall.

When Daniel waved Cassie to her feet, she got up slowly, giving him a curious look. "You gonna wake him up?"

"No, I'll let him stay here. I'm just going to lay him down so he's more comfortable."

Cassie nodded, then got out of the way as Daniel gently swung Jack's legs from the coffee table to the couch. He then moved to take his friend's shoulders, guiding him to lie down.

Jack wiggled a little and made a snorting noise when Daniel moved him, but he didn't wake up.

"Cassie, why don't you go to bed? It's late." Daniel turned off the television, and the room was bathed in almost complete darkness, only the faint moonlight streaming in through the windows.

She adjusted Jack's blanket, then curled up on the armchair with her own and got comfortable. "Can I just stay here with Jack?"

Cassie caught Daniel's smile in the darkness. "Sure, Cass." He padded quietly toward the hall and whispered, "Goodnight."

"Goodnight Daniel." She wound her arm around a pillow and snuggled deep into the overstuffed chair. Cassie felt more relaxed with Jack nearby, and liked to think that he was sleeping easier because she was with him. She would sleep easier now, and hoped that Jack would too.


	7. Girl Talk

**Summary: **Sam and Janet have a little chat about Jack's social progress.

**Timeframe: **Post Changes, before Transitions

**Characters/Pairing: **Sam/Jack, Janet

**Genre: **Friendship, Family

**Rating: **PG

**Girl Talk **

"Okay, Jack, you're all set." Janet told her patient warmly, smiling when he eagerly slid off the exam bed. She looked toward the door suddenly when someone poked their head into the infirmary. It was Sam.

"Hey," Sam greeted, her gaze quickly flitting from Janet to Jack. "All done?"

"Yeah," Jack nodded quickly, obviously wanting to leave as soon as possible, though Janet took no offense.

"Um, Jack, I came to tell you that Teal'c's looking for you. He said he'd be in the gym." Sam took another step into the room when she realized that there was no one else around, and she wasn't interrupting anything.

Jack nodded and made a beeline for the door. "Yeah, he promised boxing today."

Janet quickly caught the concerned look that flashed across Sam's face. Then her friend tried to hide it with a smile and teasing tone as she said, "Tell Teal'c to go easy on you."

Rolling his eyes, Jack strode up to Sam and pulled her toward him for a brief kiss, his hand on the door. "Don't worry," he said softly before leaving.

Sam's slight blush was obvious to Janet as her friend turned to realize that she was watching. In a blatant attempt to distract Janet from the obvious show of affection, Sam quickly said, "Do you think that's a good idea? Boxing with Teal'c?"

Janet perched herself on the exam bed. "I've spoken to Teal'c already, and told him to be careful. Besides, the sparring is good for Jack's coordination."

Sam nodded absently, though she didn't make a move to come closer, even while Janet was sitting in a pose that clearly stated she was in the mood to talk.

"Soooooo," Janet began, drawing the word out. "I see Jack's been more openly affectionate towards you as of late," she pointed out.

Heaving a sigh that indicated she was giving in, Sam took a seat beside Janet on the exam bed. She ducked her head and smiled bashfully. "Yeah. He has."

Janet was trying to be subtle, but had a feeling that Sam could see right through her. "How has that been working out for you two?"

"Good. Really good." Sam had a genuine smile on her face. "It's getting easier, you know? Being close. It feels more natural."

"Uh-huh." Janet nodded, then wheedled a little more. "So you guys are getting very…close?"

Sam lifted her chin and rose an eyebrow at her. "We haven't had sex yet, if that's what you're getting at."

Her friend's bluntness and smug, knowing tone caused Janet's cheeks to heat up with embarrassment. Was she being that obvious? "Sam, I'm not judging you. I just want you to be aware that Jack's still recovering, and he's becoming more in tune with what he's feeling and thinking now. That can be very overwhelming."

"I know that," Sam said with a sigh, and Janet could tell that her friend was trying very hard to hold back an exasperated tone. "I'm letting Jack set the pace here, Janet. We've talked, and we're taking things slow. I know he still has moments where a buried memory pops up, when he sees or feels something that triggers an emotion he doesn't quite understand. Sometimes he doesn't know how to handle it."

Janet smiled, so proud of Sam for how she was dealing with everything, being patient and attentive to Jack's needs. She knew it couldn't have been easy, when she already felt so much love for Jack, but Sam was just taking everything as it came, the good and as well as the bad.

Feeling foolish for ever doubting Sam, a grimace flashed across Janet's face as she reached out to touch her friend's arm. "You've been excellent with him, and I can see that you make Jack happy, even when he's not having a very good day. You're good together—good for each other. It's just . . . I still worry, you know?"

Sam nodded with understanding, smiling back at her. "Yeah. You're just looking out for him. You took care of him for so long, it's just hard not to. I understand that, Janet."

Surprised by the sudden sting of tears in her eyes, Janet blinked a few times, then swiped a hand across her face as she composed herself. She laughed weakly, sniffing and shaking her head, feeling foolish. "I'm sorry. I just . . . I can't believe how much I miss taking care of him."

Sam reached over to squeeze her arm. "It's understandable. You were caring for Jack for a long time before I came back. It's only natural for you to still feel protective."

"I guess." Janet shrugged, heaving a sigh.

"You're the reason Jack's here with me, now. You, Daniel, Teal'c, and even Cassie have helped him so much," Sam told her, blue eyes filling with moisture. "I don't think he would have recovered so well if it wasn't for all of you, and everything you've done for him." She smiled appreciatively.

Janet's own eyes were watering, and she pulled her friend into a hug. "Thanks, Sam," she whispered, her chin on her friend's shoulder. She sniffed and pulled away, wiping at the moisture in her eyes and taking a deep breath. "I really needed that." She laughed, still feeling a little silly for her previous concerns.

Sam nodded and slid off the bed. "I think I'll go find something to do in my lab to get my mind off the idea of Jack and Teal'c sparring."

Laughing softly, Janet nodded in agreement. "Yes, I think that's a good idea."

.


	8. Steady As We Go

**Summary: **There was never any doubt that Jack would be well taken care of.

**Timeframe: **Pre-Changes

**Characters/Pairing: **Jack, Cassie, established Daniel/Janet.

**Genre: **hurt/comfort, family, fluff

**Rating: **G

**Steady As We Go**

Daniel helped Janet sit Jack up in bed, preparing to transfer him to his wheelchair. As Daniel stood behind the bed to hold his shoulders, keeping him upright, Jack grunted and shoved a hand under his t-shirt to scratch at his ribcage.

"He's been doing that a lot today," Daniel pointed out as Janet frowned.

"The injuries he sustained from the shrapnel are still healing. His skin must be tight and itchy, but I don't want him ripping the wounds open." Janet gently grasped at Jack's hand, trying to get him to stop. "Jack, don't."

He made a displeased noise and yanked his hand away from her, continuing to paw at his ribs.

Janet heaved a soft, exasperated sigh and reached to still his hand one more time. "Alright, alright. Let me see." Jack didn't fight her this time, and she tugged up his t-shirt. There were angry, red scratch marks up and down his side, some disturbing the nearly-healed wounds there. Her eyes widened and she grasped his hand, examining his fingernails and frowning.

"Time to cut his nails?" Daniel guessed, still keeping Jack sitting upright by holding his shoulders. Without anything to support him, their former Colonel couldn't keep himself up on his own yet.

"I'd say so." Janet nodded, then flapped a hand toward Jack's ribcage. "Just let me put some anti-itch cream on him and then I'll need your help with his nails."

"Okay." Daniel agreed, and Janet pulled Jack's shirt back down, looking into his dark, somewhat-vacant eyes.

"No more scratching, alright?" she instructed, and Jack turned his head away, making faces and looking anywhere but at Janet.

Jack was finally still as Daniel removed his t-shirt, then helped him lay on his left so Janet could apply the cream to the opposite side. The medication was cold on her fingertips, and when she touched Jack's warm skin, he flinched slightly.

"It's okay," Janet assured him calmly when he started to make irritated noises. "This will make the itching stop, Jack."

He endured the treatment, arms and legs curling inward as he laid on the bed. His motor function was quite poor at this point in his recovery, and his limbs tended to do that. Daniel put Jack's shirt back on him, then he and Janet got Jack into his wheelchair, fastening the padded chest strap so he didn't fall forward.

"Clippers?" Daniel asked.

Janet pointed to a cabinet. "There should be some in there." She pulled a chair up beside Jack, and tugged one of his hands to her knee, unfurling the rigid fingers as Daniel brought her the nail clippers.

Jack resisted at first, twisting his head and making noises again, lightly tugging his hand from Janet's grip to show his displeasure.

"I know you hate this," Janet said sympathetically, "but it will be over soon. I promise."

Daniel tried to distract Jack by rambling to him about his latest projects while Janet methodically cut each fingernail. Once she'd finished each hand, Janet got the bigger clippers and moved onto his toes. Jack seemed to have an easier time with that, possibly because he couldn't really see what was going on with his feet as easily.

After Janet had finished up, she noticed that Jack was tapping a half-curled fist at his jaw. She smiled up at him and placed a hand on his knee. "Yes, I know we were going to get some lunch before all this started." Getting up from her seat, she put the chair back against the wall and then stood facing Daniel, who was now poised behind Jack's chair. "I've got some time off for lunch, so why don't you take him to the commissary while I clean up in here, then I'll meet you."

"Okay. Sounds like a plan." Daniel smiled at her tenderly in that way that always made her insides melt just a little. Then he glanced down at Jack, patted him on the shoulder, and pushed the chair towards the door. "Come on big guy, let's get you something to eat."

.

Having lunch with Jack these days was a lesson in preparedness. Janet met Daniel in the commissary to get Jack's food, but they took his tray—and their own—back to Jack's VIP room. Both she and Daniel knew that getting Jack to eat was a messy process that would probably gain a lot of unwanted attention from other base personnel in the commissary, and Janet wouldn't make him a spectacle.

Daniel pushed Jack's wheelchair to the table in the corner while Janet set up. A plastic, disposable cloth was laid over the wooden table, and then she divided up Jack's food into small piles on the tray, making everything easily accessible. Janet stuck the straw in Jack's plastic drink cup and moved it within his reach, then she and Daniel sat down on either side of him.

"Okay, Jack. Go ahead; eat." Janet instructed gently.

Jack was re-learning how to feed himself again, and with his very limited dexterity, it wasn't easy. He reached for some of the grilled cheese sandwich Janet had cut up for him, and awkwardly shoveled some bits into his mouth with his curled fingers. He managed to get most of the sandwich into his mouth, but had a little more trouble with the slippery apple slices and cut up banana.

"You're doing good, Jack," Daniel said encouragingly after a few minutes as he rubbed Jack's shoulder.

Jack cocked his head at Daniel's words, and Janet suddenly envisioned him growling out a terse, _"Quit patronizing me, will ya?"_ The thought momentarily froze her, and next thing she knew, Daniel was giving her a concerned look.

"Janet? You okay?"

Forcing herself to snap out of it, Janet cleared her throat and waved a hand dismissively. "Yeah, yeah I'm fine." She smiled back at him reassuringly, touched by his concern. Janet went back to picking at her salad, glancing over after every few bites to see that Jack was doing okay.

Jack had finished all the grilled cheese, most of the banana slices, and only a few bits of apple when he stopped eating. Stopped, or gave up, Janet wasn't sure. Even through the vacant expression on his face, she thought he might be frustrated, but he'd actually eaten a lot more than he'd been eating lately.

Daniel took one last bite of his sandwich before pushing his chair back and standing up. "Okay big guy, time to get you cleaned up."

Janet cleared the table while Daniel took Jack into the bathroom. She busily put things away and tossed the trash.

When Daniel brought Jack out, the mess of food cleaned off his face, hands, and wherever else it had gotten, Daniel asked, "So what's the rest of Jack's day look like?"

"He's got physical therapy with Dr. Jessup, then he'll probably rest, and Teal'c will take him home for supper." Janet stepped closer to Jack and brushed a hand through his typically unruly hair. He made a noise which Janet associated with him liking something, and she smiled.

"I can bring some of my books and sit with him when he's done with therapy." Daniel offered.

Janet agreed with a nod. "Alright. Teal'c's going to stay with Jack during therapy. He's still warming up to Dr. Jessup and doesn't always cooperate with her, so one of us needs to be there."

Daniel patted Jack's shoulder. "Okay, well I've got to get back to work. I'll see you later, Jack." But the other man wasn't paying attention, just staring down at the floor.

Janet tucked herself into Daniel's chest when he came around Jack's wheelchair and pulled her into his arms. She smiled and leaned up to kiss him. "Don't work too hard," she said while he reluctantly pulled away.

.

When a search and rescue mission detained Teal'c for the evening, Daniel and Janet realized that Jack would be staying with them for the night. For now, he was still resting, his post-therapy nap running a little longer than usual. Daniel wasn't surprised, though. He'd had a rough session. Dr. Jessup had gotten Jack on his feet for a little while using a walking frame, with both her and Teal'c providing support on either side of him. When Teal'c brought Jack back to his quarters for a rest, Daniel could see that the other man was exhausted and toeing the line of cranky and irritable.

Daniel turned on the television for some background noise as he was reading his book. He felt himself drifting off a few pages in, and stretched out on the couch to close his eyes. He'd been working non-stop for much of the day and figured that a little cat nap would do him good.

The muffled sound of a thump woke Daniel from his nap, and he sat up with a jerk, the book on his chest falling to the floor. "Jack?" His voice cracked from disuse.

Getting up from the couch, he groggily spun around and saw Jack on the floor by the bed, curled in a ball with his hands around his head, whimpering softly. Scrambling over to his friend, Daniel quickly knelt at Jack's side and touched his shoulder.

Jack moaned and shrugged off Daniel's offered comfort.

"Dammit," Daniel muttered under his breath, recognizing that the older man was having one of his debilitating migraines. He just hoped Jack hadn't hit his head when he tumbled off the bed, fearing that his friend's head injury was still too new.

While Jack writhed on the floor, holding his head, Daniel got up and made a beeline for the bathroom, fumbling through the cabinet until he'd found the correct pills.

Kneeling beside Jack again with his pills and some water, Daniel struggled to pull a resistant Jack to a sitting position. He managed to get him to swallow the medication before Jack curled up into a miserable ball on the floor again.

"Nnng…" Jack laid there, groaning softly.

Daniel grabbed a pillow from the bed and gently slid it beneath Jack's head. He pulled the comforter down, too, putting a consoling hand on his friend's shoulder as he waited for him to fall asleep.

With a sigh, Daniel slumped down on the floor near Jack's head and leaned back against the bed. He could tell Jack's meds were thankfully kicking in when his friend grew still and the soft moans coming from him ebbed away.

Daniel stayed there on the floor with Jack until Janet came in the room more than an hour later, ready to head home.

"Daniel? What happened?" Janet asked with alarm as she quickly moved across the room to the two men on the floor. Jack was still unconscious, his arms and legs tucked close to his body.

"One of those God-awful migraines," Daniel answered softly, grimacing in sympathy.

"You gave him the pills?" Janet asked, kneeling on Jack's other side to check on him.

Sighing, Daniel nodded. "Yeah. He went down not long after and hasn't stirred much since."

Janet smiled tightly. "Ready to get him home?" The look on her face told Daniel she hated to wake Jack, but they didn't have much choice.

.

Jack was still sleeping off the effects of his headache when Daniel and Janet took him to their house. He'd missed dinner, but Janet found Cassie bringing him a little something to eat a short while later. She smiled softly as she leaned up against the doorframe just outside what had become Jack's room. He was awake, but still lying on his side with Cassie perched on the edge of the bed beside him, a plate of chicken tenders in her lap, and Teddy on the floor awaiting any crumbs. The thirteen-year-old was telling Jack about her day at school while waiting for him to be ready to sit up and eat something.

Janet had to step back and lean against the hallway wall when hot tears leaked out of her eyes and slid down her cheeks. She pursed her lips, closing her eyes and trying to compose herself, not wanting Cassie to hear her crying. She was remembering the time Jack would spend with Cassie after she'd just arrived on their planet. Once in a while he'd pick her up from school and take her out to ice cream or something. Janet recalled Cassie telling her that she would always tell Jack about her day, and he said if any of the kids were mean to her because she was a little different, he'd go down there and straighten them out.

Janet smiled at the image of Jack talking sternly to a group of ten and eleven-year-olds. But he'd never had to do it, because Cassie quickly made friends who were impressed with stories of her 'Colonel Jack' and the rest of SG-1. When Janet worried that Cassie was revealing classified information, her adopted daughter assured her that she was only telling stories of things that happened on Earth.

Taking in a deep breath, Janet moved to peer back into the bedroom once more. Cassie was struggling a little to get Jack sitting up, but she managed to prop him back against his pillows and then handed him a chicken tender to nibble on.

Janet nearly leapt out of her skin when Daniel came up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders. She gasped softly and spun around to find an amused smile on his face.

He chuckled softly. "What are you doing?"

"Shh." Janet put a silencing finger to her lips and then pulled Daniel down the hall to the kitchen.

Daniel sat at the breakfast bar and gave her a curious look. "What?"

Janet smiled fondly and waved in the direction of the guest bedroom—Jack's room. "Cassandra," she said softly. "She's in there, telling Jack about her day, just talking with him."

"She's good for him, you know?" Daniel said with a smile.

"Yeah. Cassie, she's—she's a pretty great kid." Smiling again, Janet nodded.

"She is." Nodding in agreement, Daniel stood and pulled Janet into his arms, just holding her.

.

Cassie was just slipping out of Jack's room with a mostly-empty plate while Janet was bringing in his evening meds. Her daughter froze and looked up with a guilty expression on her face as she halted just outside the door. Cassie's dog quickly scampered off to her bedroom.

"Cassie," Janet began in a soft scolding tone. "What did I tell you about bringing Jack food in bed?" She wasn't really mad at all, and her voice was light.

The thirteen-year-old grimaced and shrugged. "I thought he might want something since he missed dinner. And I cleaned up all the crumbs," she promised.

Janet smiled warmly and placed her hand affectionately on top of Cassie's hair before bending over and kissing her forehead. "It's alright, Cass. Seeing how Jack is with you means more to me than a few crumbs in the bed."

Cassandra smiled, somewhat unsurely, then leaned into Janet and wrapped her arms around her waist. "Love you, Mom."

"I love you, too, Cass. Now would you go ask Daniel to come help me get Jack ready for bed?" When Cassie nodded, Janet smiled again and patted her daughter's head lovingly before unwinding her arms from around her and slipping into Jack's room.

Jack stared at her for a moment before turning his head, stretching his neck and legs before twisting his hands into the blanket.

Janet gave him some water and his pills, then helped him sit up and get his legs over the side of the bed to wait for Daniel. She had a hand behind his back rubbing in soothing circles, partly to keep him calm and mostly to help him stay upright.

Daniel walked in and immediately took out some pajamas for Jack; an old t-shirt and Homer Simpson pants that Cassie had gotten him on his last birthday. He set the clothes on the bed and then Janet helped Daniel get Jack into the wheelchair so he could take him to the bathroom down the hall.

"I'll take him from here; be right back," Daniel told her with a swift smile.

Janet went to get the anti-itch cream she'd left in the kitchen, then returned to Jack's room to wait for Daniel to bring him back. After about five minutes they reappeared, and Janet helped Daniel get Jack on the bed again. They got him changed, put the cream on his scratches, and then he was back in bed beneath the covers.

Janet sat on the edge of Jack's bed for a little while as he curled on his side. She gently massaged his scalp and he made the usual contented noises before falling asleep. She stayed with him for a little while, Daniel going around the bed to sit on the other side at Jack's back. He'd had somewhat of a rough day, having a tough therapy session and then suffering from one of his debilitating headaches. She knew it was stressful for him, and hoped he could rest comfortably, at least for a while. With Jack's often erratic sleeping patterns, she could never tell.

.

In the middle of the night Janet woke up to a worrying silence. She could hear Daniel breathing softly beside her, and a glance at the baby monitor on the nightstand showed the green light that indicated it was on, but she heard nothing. All Janet heard was white noise, which meant the volume on the monitor in Jack's room was turned all the way down or it was off. But why would it be off?

Slightly worried, Janet slipped out of bed as carefully as possible, but she still managed to wake Daniel.

"_What is it?" _he mumbled sleepily, rolling over to face her and squinting.

"Jack's monitor is off. I'm just going to go check on him, I'll be right back." Janet hushed him, finding her robe and putting it on before padding toward the door. "Go back to sleep."

"_Mm'kay." _Daniel rolled over again and was out.

Peering into the open door of Jack's room, the light from the hall casting a faint glow through the darkness, Janet smiled and sagged slightly with relief. Cassie was lying on the bed next to Jack, her head propped on an arm and whispering softly to him, with her dog Teddy lying at the foot of the bed. Jack's eyes were open and he lifted his head, noticing Janet in the doorway and making a soft noise.

Cassie immediately sat up and turned around. "Mom," she said softly with surprise. "You scared me."

Janet just smiled and stepped into the room. "I woke up and noticed that Jack's monitor was off." She gestured to the muted monitor on the nightstand. "Came in to see why."

"Sorry." Cassie grimaced apologetically. "I got up to go to the bathroom and when I was going back to my room I saw that Jack was awake." She shrugged. "I just came in to talk to him until he fell back asleep. I shut the monitor off so I wouldn't wake you and Daniel." She made a face and apologized again. "I don't have school tomorrow," she added hurriedly.

Janet tried not to laugh. "It's okay, Cass." She smiled reassuringly and sat on the bed beside her daughter. She then noticed that Cassie was holding one of Jack's hands, methodically pressing back his fingers and then stretching them each one at a time. Jack didn't seem to mind, his eyes closing as Cassie continued to manipulate his rigid digits.

"I think his hands hurt from being so scrunched up all the time," Cassie said softly when she noticed Janet watching what she was doing.

"I'm sure they do," Janet replied, smiling thinly and watching Jack as Cassie switched hands. "I'll have to talk to Dr. Jessup and see if she can work on that with him a little more in therapy."

Cassie nodded and proceeded to massage and flex Jack's hand.

"Have you done this before?" Janet asked, seeing that Cassie seemed to know just what she was doing, each movement of her own hands slow and practiced as she worked with Jack's.

Her young daughter nodded sheepishly. "Yeah. Sometimes I get up to just check on him at night." She shrugged. "Jack tucks his hands in his armpits when they're bothering him, but he doesn't make any noises, so usually you or Daniel don't wake up." Cassie shrugged, suddenly looking a little unsure. "Are you mad?"

"No, I'm not, Cass." Janet smiled warmly at her daughter and reached out to smooth back her silky hair. She then looked at her seriously. "But I want you to know that it isn't your responsibility to care for Jack, okay? Daniel, Teal'c, and I will worry about that."

Cassie sighed, frowning a little and turning her head to stare down at Jack's hands. "I know," she said in a small voice, shrugging. "But I wanna help, Mom. I love Jack just like you guys do. He's my family, too."

Janet felt tears sting her eyes. She was so unbelievably proud of this little girl that had come into their lives through tragedy and come out so strong and full of compassion and wisdom beyond her years. She pulled Cassie into a hug.

"Is it okay if I help Jack?" Cassie wanted to know while she was being crushed to her mother's chest.

"Of course it is, sweetie." Janet kissed the top of her head.

"Good. 'Cause I wasn't gonna stop." Cassandra smiled mischievously, and Janet knew that her daughter had certainly spent a fair amount of time with one Colonel Jack O'Neill, and she didn't mind that one bit.

Janet finally let her go and leaned back before getting off the bed. "I just don't want you up too late with him on school nights, got it?"

"Yes, ma'am!" Cassie sent her a sloppy salute and grinned. Yep, she'd definitely picked some things up from Jack.

"Goodnight Jack," Janet called to him as she moved back to the door. "And make sure you get some sleep, Cassandra."

"I will," Cassie promised.

Janet hovered in the doorway for a moment, long enough to see Cassie lean over Jack for a hug, kissing him tenderly on the cheek before lying back down beside him again.

.End.


	9. Where it all Began

**Summary: **Daniel recalls Jack's accident with horrifying clarity.

**Timeframe: **Pre-Changes

**Characters/Pairing: **Jack, Team, established Daniel/Janet

**Genre: **Drama, Angst, Hurt/Comfort

**Rating:** T

**Started: **July-3-2011** Finished: **Aug-1-2011

**Where it all Began**

Daniel didn't know why, but for some reason today all he could think about was the day Jack O'Neill's world—and his own—had been turned upside down. Maybe it was because he overheard a couple of passing scientists discussing some alien weapons discovered off-world, or maybe it was because Jack had thrown a fit during lunch, spilling his pasta and getting red sauce all over himself in the process. The sight was a horrifying reminder to Daniel of the bloody mess he'd found his friend in months ago. It was probably a combination of those two things, he thought ruefully.

With Jack already on his way home with Teal'c for the night, Janet still on base, and Cassie sleeping over at a friend's house, Daniel was left alone to relax for the first time in a long while. He kicked his shoes off inside the door and wearily dragged himself off to bed, hoping to sleep and get his mind off of the past events that had been plaguing him all day.

.

_ The dry heat of the planet was oppressive, making everything including breathing uncomfortable. Daniel resisted the urge to remove his desert camo team jacket as Jack and Teal'c had done, concerned that his fair skin would burn under the hot sun. He walked along, listening to Dr. Chesnik blather on about his discoveries, but Daniel wasn't interested in the technology as much as the history behind it. He thought of Sam, knowing she'd be right there with Chesnik if she were with them._

_Daniel frowned momentarily, his thoughts going out to his absent friend, then his gaze swept around the site, seeking out the archaeologist among the researchers, Dr. Marcone. He noticed Jack striding toward the 'lab' tent, probably to bug the scientists and check on their progress. Daniel knew Jack couldn't wait until SG-6 came to relieve them of their duties. His friend had been quite miserable today, even more so than he'd been lately. _

_Ever since Sam had left for that Tok'ra mission with her father, Jack hadn't been himself. To be honest, he'd been a miserable son-of-a-bitch, especially when they were off-world. He'd grumbled about Hammond wanting to stick them with a temporary replacement until she was back from the mission, but Daniel didn't think that was what had really been bothering Jack. He knew better. Jack and Sam had developed a strong bond over the few years they'd been together so far, and Daniel was sure it had really started after they'd been trapped alone in Antarctica and nearly died. He would even dare to think they actually loved each other, but would never say as much to either of them. Because of restrictions placed upon them due to their military status, Jack and Sam would most likely deny it. Jack missed her, and was probably worried sick that something might happen without him there to watch her back._

_That last thought made Daniel a little sad, and when he turned around, realized that Dr. Marcone was making his way into the lab tent while Jack was just stepping out. Pivoting, his movement kicking up dry dust, Daniel held up in arm in a wave and called out to his colleague, ditching Dr. Chesnik without thought. "Doctor! Doctor Marcone!"_

_He'd taken exactly two steps toward the tent when he heard the sharp fizzle of energy followed by a loud bang. The concussion of the blast nearly knocked him off his feet. There were a few short, agonized screams, and he staggered slightly as he witnessed Jack being thrown to the ground, struck by debris and crackling energy._

"_JACK!" Daniel scrambled toward his unmoving friend, his heart hammering away in his chest, fear nearly paralyzing him. He managed to compose himself enough to grab for his radio as he neared Jack. "TEAL'C! There's been some kind of explosion in the lab tent! You need to get to the gate and bring back a medical team! There are at least three casualties!" _

_Behind him, Chesnik had turned around and ran for what was left of the tent, screaming the names of the two scientists that had been inside. _

_Coming to a halt when he reached Jack, Daniel felt himself start to shake. His friend was sprawled face down in the dirt, his right side covered in blood from the waist up, bits of glistening metal poking out of him through the tac vest. Daniel sunk to his knees and shakily reached out for his friend's neck to check for a pulse. One side of Jack's head was slick with blood that ran down the side of his neck. As Daniel leaned over to see the grisly injury, he thought he might be sick. There was a chunk of gleaming shrapnel sticking out of the side of his friend's head above his ear. _

"_Oh God," he gasped, still struggling to find a pulse. He moved his fingers carefully, now slick with Jack's blood. There! He'd found it. Jack's pulse felt weak and fast, but it was there. _

"_They're dead! They're dead!" _

_Daniel glanced up long enough to see a half-screaming, half-sobbing Dr. Chesnik staggering out of the shredded lab tent, his face white as a sheet. "Wh-what?" Daniel spluttered, one hand still in contact with Jack's neck. _

"_Marcone a-and Lewis… They—they're dead." Chesnik stumbled to a halt by Jack's feet, his mouth gaping open as he stared down at the bloody mess of a man in shock. "I-is he…too?"_

"_No, he's still alive," Daniel choked out, feeling tears in his eyes. "Barely. Teal'c…was walking the perimeter… He-he's gone for help."_

_Chesnik nodded numbly and sunk to his knees where he stood. _

_Daniel hesitantly returned his attention to Jack. His best friend was bleeding all over the place and he didn't know what to do, afraid to touch him or move him at all. Part of his brief field medical training told him that he should put pressure on the wounds, but with all the shrapnel poking out, he didn't want to push it deeper and make things worse. Instead, he did nothing put pray that help arrived soon and Jack could be saved. _

_._

_ Daniel remained at Jack's side as the medics came led by Teal'c, stabilizing Jack as best as they could before strapping him carefully to a special field gurney and getting him to the gate. Another team would return to retrieve the bodies of the scientists that had been killed._

_He felt like he was in a haze as they returned to Earth and his booted feet hit the metal grating of the ramp. He was shaky, numb. As soon as Janet approached, she took one look at him and instructed a couple of her orderlies to get him and Dr. Chesnik to the infirmary while she disappeared with Jack._

_Daniel barely remembered getting to the infirmary and sitting down on one of the beds. In the back of his mind he knew he was in shock. It didn't matter though, because his best friend was dying and he was no longer with him. _

_A nurse was checking him over and giving him a mild sedative when he looked up with confusion and mumbled, "Teal'c?" He felt like he needed the Jaffa's steady presence right now. _

"_He's in the observation room above the operating theater, Dr. Jackson," the nurse checking his blood pressure said softly. _

"_Jack?" he croaked, pulling off his glasses as the tears stung his eyes. _

"_Yes, sir. Dr. Fraiser and Dr. Warner are with him now in the OR. I can have one of them come talk to you when they're able if you want?"_

_Daniel nodded shakily. "Please. Janet." When had he become reduced to single word sentences?_

_The nurse's comforting hand momentarily rested on his shoulder. "Okay, Doctor Jackson. I'll have Dr. Fraiser come talk to you as soon as she can. You're free to go now, sir." _

_Getting off the bed, Daniel stared blankly at his hands. They were stained a pinkish-red with Jack's blood. Oh God, he was going to throw up. Clamping down on the urge to lose his last meal, Daniel gritted his teeth and walked away, heading for the locker room. _

_._

_After his shower and change into clean BDUs, Daniel couldn't bring himself to go into the observation room. He sat outside on the floor, waiting for Teal'c. He knew the General would be looking for him to give a debriefing, but he didn't want to talk about it right now. It was too soon. He really didn't want to think about what had just happened back there. Oh God, what if Jack didn't make it? What was he going to say to Sam when she got back?_

_Tucking his knees into his chest, Daniel leaned over and buried his face in his arms. He wasn't sure he wanted to face the world again if Jack didn't survive. _

"_Daniel Jackson," the deep, steady voice and hand on his shoulder made the archaeologist jerk his head up, blinking blearily at his friend._

"_Teal'c," he breathed out, glancing at his wristwatch to find that three hours had gone by since he'd slumped on the floor outside the observation room. "Is Jack out of surgery yet?" Daniel pulled himself to his feet. _

_The Jaffa shook his head grimly. "He is not. Doctors Fraiser and Warner have completed the removal of shrapnel and repair along O'Neill's torso. Doctor Fraiser has requested the assistance of a specialist to complete the procedure dealing with the damage to O'Neill's skull."_

_Daniel's gaze shifted, distracted with worry. For a long moment he stood there, staring blankly at the door to the observation room, still afraid to go inside and actually witness what they were doing to Jack down there. He was afraid. Afraid that if he saw Jack so near death that that would be the last he saw of him. Daniel didn't want that image burned into his memory. The sight of Jack lying in a bloody heap on that planet had been bad enough. He definitely didn't want to see his best friend with his head being cut into. _

"_Would you like to go in, Daniel Jackson?" Teal'c gestured at the door._

_Cringing at the thought, Daniel turned around, shaking his head. "N-no," he muttered shakily, feeling his hands trembling and shoving them into the pockets of his clean BDUs. "I—I can't."_

"_It is understandable, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c intoned with steady understanding._

_Leaning back against the wall, Daniel clenched his eyes shut, his hands balled into fists. A part of him felt like he **should** go in there, because if Jack didn't make it, at least he would get to see him one last time, as gruesome as the sight was going to be. _

_Decision made, Daniel pushed away from the wall and pulled open the door to the observation room. He looked down through the glass, and immediately felt the bile rise up his throat. The doctor was carefully removing the hunk of shrapnel that had been imbedded in his best friend's skull. The gleaming metal was slick with blood as they took it out with great care, and Daniel thought he was going to be sick. No, he **knew **he was going to be sick. _

_Bolting before the door had even closed behind him, Daniel dashed passed Teal'c and down the hall for the nearest bathroom, where he promptly tossed his cookies. _

.

_The next time he saw Jack, his friend was out of surgery and on a bed in the ICU. It had been several hours later, and Daniel no longer knew what day it was, or even the time. He vaguely remembered meeting Jack's neurosurgeon/neurologist, Dr. Elissa Carlysle. Janet, Teal'c, and even General Hammond were all there as well as they went in to see Jack. _

_Daniel clenched his jaw to keep himself from crying when he saw his best friend lying so still and lifeless in that hospital bed. Jack was an incredible tangle of wires and tubes, just a towel stretched across his hips to preserve his modesty. Dr. Carlysle explained that it was better for his brain to keep him cool. His right side was swathed in bandages from the shrapnel wounds, and there was a thick patch of gauze over the surgical site on the right side of his head. Jack's head had been completely shaved, and there were even monitors and drains sticking out from his skull. Daniel felt like retching again._

_Janet's eyes were moist as she reached for his hand and looked into his eyes as though they were the only two people in the room. Out of all of them, he knew he was the most distressed; he'd been the one to see Jack first. "How…" Daniel's voice was choked and dry. He cleared his throat and attempted to compose himself. Janet squeezed his hands. It helped. "How bad is it?"_

"_Thankfully, the shrapnel wounds to his side didn't go very deep and cause any real damage. The fact that he had his tactical vest on helped," Janet began softly, addressing Teal'c and the General as well. Her lips pursed briefly, and she took in a deep breath, glancing minutely at Jack's still form. "Right now the Colonel's in a coma, which is probably the best thing for him at this time." She let go of Daniel's hands. "Other than the shrapnel which pierced his skull, the alien energy from the explosion seems to have caused significant brain damage."_

_Daniel's mind pretty much stopped working altogether at those last words. "B-brain damage?" he stuttered out. _

_It took an obvious effort for Janet to continue. "We aren't able to determine what that means exactly at this point, and all we can really do right now is monitor him closely." Janet turned and gestured toward her patient. "We're keeping a very close eye on the monitors that are keeping track of the pressure in his brain. There's a lot of swelling right now, and while the bleeding was controlled in surgery, there's a chance the Colonel could suffer another bleed, and he's not out of the woods yet. The next few days are going to be crucial."_

_Daniel felt as though his legs had turned to spaghetti, and the next thing he knew, Teal'c was lowering him into a chair, and then General Hammond's heavy hand fell on his shoulder._

"_It'll be alright, son."_

_Looking at Jack now, Daniel didn't really believe him. _

_._

_ When Jack finally surfaced from his coma, Daniel immediately knew that his friend was not the same. He and Teal'c had spent over a week at their friend's bedside, and were relieved the moment Jack had opened his eyes. But the relief had been short-lived. _

_Jack had been off the ventilator for a little while, but still, he didn't speak. Janet reminded Daniel that speech may be one of the things he would have to learn to do all over again. _

"_Jack? Can you hear me?" Daniel asked, but Jack only turned his head in his direction, focusing on him briefly before moving on to something else, seemingly disinterested. _

_Jack didn't stay awake for long. For several hours he surfaced for short periods of time and then went back to sleep. _

_The next day he stayed awake a little longer before drifting away again. Daniel spent the most time at Jack's bedside other than Janet. He picked up his friend's cool, limp hand. "Jack, squeeze my hand," he instructed determinedly. _

_Jack's fingers merely twitched before he fell back to sleep._

_A while later Daniel tried again. "Come on, Jack. Squeeze my hand."_

_This time, he did. Jack's fingers weakly clenched around Daniel's hand, and the archaeologist whooped and cheered, his face beaming. Jack fell asleep again and he ran to tell Janet what their friend had accomplished. _

_A few more days passed, and Jack progressed slowly. He never tried to talk, only making grunts or moans, and occasionally screaming or wailing. He hated most people touching him, with Daniel, Teal'c, and Janet being the few exceptions. And even then, it took some time for him to accept **them**._

_Every time he needed a new dressing, a tube placement or monitor checked, removed, adjusted, or changed, he threw a fit. Jack's movements were very uncoordinated, and he couldn't sit up, so he just thrashed around. Usually the thrashing fits ended with Jack moaning and sometimes even crying. Janet told Daniel that he was hurting the wounds on his side, and he almost constantly looked as though he were in pain. _

_Sometimes Daniel felt guilty for sitting at Jack's bedside and just hoping that his friend would be his old self again. _

_._

_The day that Jack suffered a seizure, Daniel nearly had a heart attack. Janet was showing him how to hook Jack's food bag up to the feeding tube when a gasping groan came from Jack and the monitors all began screeching. After that, Jack's body began it's violent jerking and flailing._

_Janet had to tranquilize him to get the seizure to stop, and then she and a nurse whisked Jack away for a CT scan. It had been the third most terrifying moment in Daniel's life; the first was seeing his parents get killed, and the second was when he'd found Jack after the explosion. _

_When they brought Jack back to his regular room, Daniel spent hours at his bedside waiting for him to wake up. When he finally did, he still had the same mostly-vacant look on his face, intermixed with flashes of confusion and pain. _

_Later, after talking awhile with Jack's neurologist, Daniel learned many things about the stages that brain-injured people went through during the recovery process. She told him about a disinhibition phase that many patients went through, where they said or did whatever popped into their heads. She also explained to him that some patients experienced the complete opposite. Jack, Daniel found out, had the opposite. He didn't speak or do much; he was very withdrawn into himself, seemingly unaware of almost everything. _

_Dr. Carlysle warned Daniel that it might change once Jack recovered more and regained some mobility, maybe even his speech. Daniel didn't think so. He called it Jack's chronic catatonic phase. _

_._

_Putting down the book he'd been reading while visiting with Jack for a few hours, Daniel swiveled in his chair and smiled a little as Janet entered the room. "Hey," he greeted her warmly, standing up. _

_Janet approached him wordlessly and wrapped her arms around him, leaning her head against his chest. _

"_Janet?" Daniel asked worriedly, feeling as though something may be seriously wrong with his friend who was lying asleep not two feet away. _

"_Everything's fine," she assured him quickly. "I was just talking to Cassie about Jack and I…I needed a hug."_

_Daniel leaned back, his brows furrowed. He wasn't used to Janet breaking down at all; she was the confident, unflappable doctor. "What happened?"_

_Janet frowned. "She's upset. I still don't want her seeing Jack quite yet." She glanced over at her patient and friend. "He's still got so many tubes and wires right now and…I think it will be too scary for her."_

"_Cassie's a strong kid, Janet. Don't underestimate her. She witnessed everyone on her entire planet—including her parents—get wiped out by disease." Daniel tried to reason. He knew how much Jack meant to Cassie and vice versa. Maybe letting her see Jack would be a good thing._

_She swallowed audibly and sighed. "I know she's strong, Daniel, but she shouldn't have to… Cassie adores Jack. I don't know how she's going to feel seeing him like this, if she'll understand that he probably won't ever be that Jack that she's known for the last few years." _

_Daniel nodded with understanding. He looked at Jack again. "He's been doing pretty good today. No fits or anything. Today would be a good day to bring her in."_

_Finally relenting, Janet bowed her head in acceptance. She busied herself by moving around Jack's bed, checking his monitors, fluid intake and output as well as his vitals. She gently ran her fingers through his short hair where there were no bandages. It was slowly starting to grow back and in a fuzzy phase. Jack made a noise, opening his eyes, and Janet smiled. "Today," she said. "After his lunch. He'll be sleepy then, and quiet."_

"_Good." Daniel smiled back at her, watched Jack's eyes shift to Janet, then to him, then to the wall. Whatever happened from here on out, he was going to be there for Jack, that was a fact. _

.

Daniel woke up with tears in his eyes and quickly batted them away, sitting up in bed. He glanced sideways, seeking Janet's comfort, but she wasn't there. She still wasn't home from the base.

Getting out of bed, Daniel lumbered toward the bathroom to splash some water on his face, still thinking about his dream. It wasn't a dream, not really. It was a memory. A memory of the first few weeks after Jack's accident.

He got to the sink, soaked his face, then walked out of the room. Daniel felt like he really needed to go see Jack, like it would help soothe him knowing that his friend was okay. Well, Jack wasn't _okay _okay, but he was better, a lot better than they ever expected him to get, in fact, and still improving. Despite his continued difficulties with communication, speech, coordination, and other areas, Jack was progressing spectacularly considering the severity of his brain injury. Daniel had some hope left in him.

By the time he'd thrown on some clothes and grabbed his car keys, the sound of the front door opening halted his progress. Janet walked in, giving him a puzzled look.

"Daniel? Where are you going?" She must have noticed the slightly distressed look on his face because her eyes were shining with concern.

"I—" Daniel halted, suddenly feeling foolish, his own mind claiming his need to go see Jack in the middle of the night was ridiculous. He put his keys back on the counter and stuffed his hands in his pockets awkwardly. "I wanted to check on Jack."

Janet's brows immediately furrowed and she looked alarmed. "Why? Did something happen? Why didn't anybody call me?"

"No, no, no," Daniel quickly assured her, waving his hands. "Jack's fine." He smiled a little. "Well, I'm pretty sure he's fine, I just—I…I had a dream and, well I wanted to make sure." He grimaced at how paranoid and overprotective he sounded.

Janet moved closer and touched his arm. "Teal'c might still be up. Why don't you just call?"

Daniel frowned, then shook his head and pulled a hand through his hair. "No, it's okay. You know what? I'll call in the morning. I'm just…I'm just a little shaken up after the dream I had." He made a face, loathe to admit a stupid dream/memory had rattled him so much. "I dreamed of Jack's accident and the couple of weeks after." He explained, taking a deep breath and sighing.

Janet smiled tightly at him with sympathy. She looked tired. "It's late, Daniel. Why don't you come to bed?"

Shoulders sagging, Daniel gave a nod. He knew it was useless worrying over Jack when he was safe at home with Teal'c. Teal'c would have called immediately if anything was wrong, and logically Daniel knew that there wasn't. He only had the urge to see Jack alive because of the dream.

He let Janet lead him back to their bedroom and climbed back in bed after undressing again while she changed. As she slid in the bed beside him, holding him, Daniel knew he would be able to get back to sleep. Jack was fine, he kept telling himself. He'd call him and then see him in the morning.

Falling asleep, the nightmarish images of Jack's accident receded from Daniel's mind, allowing him to rest with only peaceful thoughts remaining in his head.

.


	10. Hanging by a Moment

**Summary: **Jack's progress takes a leap forward.

**Timeframe: **Pre-Changes, after "Steady as We Go."

**Characters/Pairing: **Jack, established Daniel/Janet

**Genre: **Drama, Hurt/Comfort

**Rating: **PG

**Hanging by a Moment**

It was nearly a month since Jack's injury, and every day Janet was more surprised by the things that he could do. His physical progressions were quite remarkable at this point in his recovery. He could stand for short periods of time now, but wasn't really able to walk without a lot of support, and still had to be in a wheelchair. Jack had relearned how to do other things on his own as well. He could now tell when he had to use the bathroom with few accidents, and Janet was both amazed and pleased that it was one of those things he could usually do without prompting. She, Daniel, and Teal'c had learned to recognize the signs when he needed to go. It also helped that he had scheduled bathroom times; first thing in the morning, an hour or two after meals, and right before bed.

That morning, when it was time for Jack's bath, Janet went to his room where Daniel had just finished giving Jack his breakfast. He was getting better at feeding himself now, though it was still a messy process better accomplished in private.

"Hello, you two," Janet greeted Jack and Daniel as she walked into the room with Nurse Benson. Jack and Daniel were sitting at the little table, the remnants of their breakfast still out in front of them. Since Jack could now sit up on his own without falling over, he no longer needed the chest strap on his chair, and was able to keep himself from slumping to one side or the other. It was a vast improvement.

Nurse Benson went straight to the bathroom to get the water running at an acceptable temperature and make sure Jack's special bath chair was in place.

Daniel waved, smiled, and turned to Jack. "You ready for your shower, big guy?"

Jack's neck craned back as he made a noise and stared up at the ceiling. He put his hands on the wheels of his chair, but lacked the strength to maneuver himself.

Daniel automatically reached down to put Jack's hands back in his lap. Jack's limbs were slowly becoming 'uncurled' as his therapy continued, working to strengthen his muscles and hopefully improve his dexterity over time. He was already better at grasping things. "I've got it, Jack," Daniel said, pushing his friend to the private bathroom.

When Daniel parked Jack's chair beside the tub and left the bathroom, Janet and Nurse Benson moved in. Luckily, the space was large—not as large as the infirmary showers, but they still had room.

Usually when Jack was being bathed—often by herself and a nurse—they would strip Jack down while he was in his wheelchair, then transfer him over to the special bath chair. Jack would sit passively as they got him under the warm spray of water and bathed him. This time, however, Jack surprised them all.

Nurse Benson removed Jack's shoes and socks without a problem, but as soon as Janet began to pull up his t-shirt, Jack started fighting them. He threw his arms down and pushed Janet's hands away, making noises that signified his displeasure.

"Jack, you need to get undressed for your bath," Janet said calmly, trying to circumvent his flailing arms that continued to bat her away.

"_Nyaaahhh!" _Jack screeched, getting agitated.

"What's going on?" Daniel demanded as he burst into the bathroom, a look of alarm on his face when he saw Jack fighting them.

Janet sighed and excused the nurse. The other women left the room, giving Daniel space to enter. She stopped reaching for Jack's clothes and he calmed down marginally. "He won't let us undress him."

Daniel just stared quizzically at Jack, standing back and wrapping his arms around his torso. "Maybe he wants to do it himself?" he suggested.

Taking a half step back, Janet studied her patient seriously, leaning sideways a little to try and get into his line of sight. "Is that it, Jack? Do you want to undress yourself?"

As if in answer, he started pulling at his shirt to get it off. Whenever Janet or Daniel tried to help, he threw a fit, so they backed off and allowed him to do it all on his own. It took Jack a while to get the shirt off, and even longer with his pants and boxers, but Janet and Daniel were both delightedly proud. This was progress.

Modesty still didn't seem to be an issue at this point; Jack just wanted to do everything on his own and not be touched while he was doing it. That was all well and good, and Janet was pleased that he was making an effort in attempting to take care of himself, but when he was struggling to transfer from his wheelchair to the shower chair, Janet stepped in. She ignored his flailing and grunts of discontent, enlisting Daniel's help to transfer him quickly so he didn't hurt himself. He calmed down again once he was settled and the soothing warm water was spraying down on him.

"This is definitely a start," Janet commented to Daniel happily. "It's a good sign. And maybe even sometime soon, when he has a little more strength, he'll even be able to transfer on his own, or not need the bath chair at all."

"Janet, look," Daniel whispered in astonishment, staring at Jack.

Turning her head, Janet watched Jack pick up his bath sponge and the soap before slowly and awkwardly beginning to scrub himself clean. Janet was beaming, amazed and excited and suddenly crying all at once. She felt Daniel's hand on her shoulder and sent him a reassuring—yet watery—smile. Janet covered his hand with her own. "It's okay, Daniel. You can go. I'll keep an eye on him."

He cocked his head. "You sure?" Daniel jerked a thumb out the door. "Do you want me to get Nurse Benson back?"

"No, I'm sure." She glanced over at Jack. He closed his eyes, scrubbed at his face, then leaned into the spray to rinse away the suds before opening his eyes again. Janet would never cease to be amazed at how the human brain worked. "We'll be fine."

Once Daniel had gone, Janet took a seat in Jack's now-vacant wheelchair and picked up a magazine from the counter to keep herself busy while also keeping watch over Jack out of the corner of her eye. She was inexplicably proud of her patient and couldn't stop grinning as she flipped through the magazine without really looking at it.

When he'd bathed himself sufficiently and rinsed off, Janet got up to turn off the water and gave Jack his towel. She started to dry him off while he was still in the bath chair, but Jack just grunted loudly and tore the towel out of her grip. Janet stepped back patiently as he dried himself, then helped him get back to his wheelchair where he clumsily struggled to dress in the clothes Janet gave him. She could tell he was exhausted by now, evidenced by the way his arms pulled in awkwardly after he wiggled into a pair of shorts and then couldn't seem to do anything else. Janet saw how hard it was for Jack to concentrate on any simple tasks when he was overly tired, his injured brain overtaxed by his efforts and his limbs refusing to cooperate at all.

"It's okay," Janet soothed as Jack became agitated, thrashing and nearly tossing himself out of his chair to the point where she had to grab his shoulders so he didn't end up on the floor. "Jack, it's okay. Calm down." She took his sweatpants and t-shirt and then got behind his wheelchair, pushing him back into his suite.

Jack then became completely passive as Janet pushed him over to the bed, only helping her a little as she pulled his arm across her shoulders to try and maneuver him back onto the mattress. He'd lost a significant amount of weight since his accident, but Jack was still much too heavy for her to handle on her own if he wasn't being cooperative.

When she tried to dress him, Jack just pushed her hands away, but refused to dress himself. Janet had recognized the signs of cognitive fatigue when his limbs had stopped cooperating and he'd grown extremely agitated. He'd done too much and he was beyond the normal exhaustion. As she watched Jack lie down, it was clear that his motor control was gone for the moment; his limbs all curled in like they used to, and he was totally uncooperative.

Resigning herself to the fact that Jack would need to take his nap early today, Janet unfolded the blanket at the foot of the bed and covered him. If he wouldn't let her dress him now, she would try again later, or Teal'c would when he came to stay with Jack for a little while. Maybe then Jack would be well rested and would try dressing on his own again. Janet was confident that this time wasn't just a fluke—random behavior. She was certain that Jack was improving.

Sometimes Janet wondered if it would have been more beneficial for Jack to put him in a rehab hospital instead of caring for him on their own. But then it was days like this, when he showed great improvement, that Janet grew confident that they were doing the right thing. Dr. Carlysle had brought in a full neurological team (with clearance) to work with Jack at the SGC's hospital, and assured Janet that he was getting better care here than he would at any rehab hospital, simply because he had more than one caregiver and because his team of doctors and therapists were there specifically to work with him alone.

Janet looked down at Jack and checked the clock on his bedside table. Daniel would be on his way back soon, and she'd have him sit with Jack while he napped for the next few hours and regained some energy before Teal'c came to bring Jack to therapy.

Sitting on the edge of the bed where Jack lay staring off into space, Janet sat with him in silence until he fell asleep, then got up to clean up the bathroom a little. She was still marveling at the huge step forward Jack had made today, and was even a little sad she was unable to share this moment with her best friend. Janet was certain that Sam would be here for Jack every step of the way if she'd known what was going on, but being with the Tok'ra, she and her father were constrained to zero contact on their covert mission. Janet silently prayed that Sam was safe and due to return home soon. They'd nearly lost Jack (they _had _lost him in a sense), and she couldn't fathom the possibility of losing another friend quite so soon.

.


	11. I Think I'm Broken

**Summary: **Still on the long road to recovery, Jack's insecurities come to the surface.

**Timeframe: **Post 'Changes.'

**Characters/Pairing: **Jack/Sam

**Genre: **Drama, Hurt/Comfort, Angst

**Rating: **G

**Started: **July 27, 2011 **Finished: **Sept. 8, 2011

**I Think I'm Broken**

"I think I'm broken," Jack says as she finds him sitting on the kitchen floor one morning. Dorothy is lying next to his stretched out legs like she's there to protect him.

For a moment Sam is speechless, taking in how Jack is so much more aware of himself now than he's been since his accident. It's taken nearly two years, his special Ancient gene, and an alien medical pod to get him to this point. She's grateful, but also sad now that he knows he isn't the way he once was.

She moves to sit beside him, leaning back against the counter. "You are _not _broken, Jack." Sam puts her hand on his knee. He looks at her, a disbelieving expression on his face. "You're different now, and it's okay to be different. You're still _you_."

He stares at her for a long moment, and she can tell that his focus is waning. She finds that he is very distractible these days, his attention often scattered. But he's still getting better, Janet tells Sam, and she believes her. Janet has brought him this far, she has no reason to doubt her doctor friend now.

The medical pod the Tok'ra used gave Jack's system a significant boost, and Janet is confident that his own special genes will push him the rest of the way. As much as possible, anyway. They know there is some damage that will probably never be repaired, and Jack will still suffer some deficits from his brain injury, but that doesn't matter to those that love him. Jack is getting better all the time, he's just the only one who can't really see it.

He reaches out to lightly stroke Dorothy's side, his expression unreadable. Sam thinks he might be getting flashes of memory again. It's been happening a lot since he was in the pod.

"Jack?" she questions, giving his knee a little squeeze where her hand rests. He turns to her and she looks at him entreatingly. "Do you remember your accident at all?" Sam knows this has the potential to be a loaded question, that it might upset him, but she takes the risk and asks anyway.

He shrugs and glances away again, staring blankly at her hand on his leg and then covering it with his own. "Not…really." She catches the brief clenching of his jaw, the way his fingers clench briefly atop her own. His other hand stills on Dorothy's side. "You weren't there…"

Sam nods sadly, her throat constricting. "That's right, Jack. I wasn't there when it happened." A part of her feels guilty, like she could have prevented him getting hurt if she'd been there. But then again, she would have probably been in that tent working with the scientists. She'd be dead, and unable to be with Jack now. Her heart thuds a little harder in her chest as she thinks about not having this with him. Not being here to see Jack through his struggles and triumphs at all.

"I got…hurt," he mumbles, still not looking at her. "You weren't there…and I…got hurt."

"I know," Sam says, feeling her throat constricting with emotion again. "And I'm sorry I wasn't there for you, Jack."

Jack cocks his head with surprise and gives her a funny look. He picks up her hand and pulls it to his chest, cradling it. "Not your…fault, Sam," he insists.

She tries to believe him, _wants to_, and knows that logically, it really isn't her fault. But the guilt is still there, floating just beneath the surface.

"You're here…now," Jack tells her, quirking a small smile. "That…matters."

Sam closes her eyes and tries not to cry. Her emotions have a way of coming out from under cover around Jack more often than not. "You're here, too, Jack. And you're getting better every day. And I love you no matter what, okay?"

He tilts his head again, leans on her, then reaches toward his legs and absently gives Dorothy a scratch with his free hand.

Sam cranes her neck to kiss the top of Jack's head. He's not broken, or damaged, or a partial person in her eyes, and Sam will do everything in her power to keep reminding him of that.

.


End file.
